Gregory Smith | Associated Press
Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams (24), playing defense on Miami's James Jones, has focused on defense since the end of last season and he could have skills tested by Dwyane Wade today as the Hawks and the Heat open their first-round playoff series.

As Marvin Williams walks onto the floor tonight, as the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat play the first game of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series, he'll be walking into a crucial moment in his NBA career.

With so much going on, it's the perfect time for a state-of-the-career address from the fourth-year small forward who was an All-American during his playing days at Bremerton High.

First up is health.

Williams expects to return to the starting lineup tonight.

He played the final three games of the regular season after missing 16 because of a mysterious back injury.

"I wouldn't quite say (I'm) 100 percent," Williams said.

But he's plenty ready to play. Only the rest that comes during the offseason will completely heal his back, which flared up when he made a move to the basket against the Detroit Pistons on March 7.

It took plenty of rehab to get Williams back on the court. Shortly after the injury occurred, the words "surgery" and "season ending" were bandied about.

Next is happiness.

It's a happy time to be a Hawk. The team posted its first winning record since 1999 (all the more impressive considering the multitude of injuries suffered this season). They are in the playoffs for the second straight year, but this year are in a much-better place.

Last year, as the eighth seed, they ran into the eventual-champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks earned some respect by taking the series to seven games, which seemed to carry over this season.

Now, they're the fourth seed, which guarantees them home-court advantage against the Heat. And the national pundits seem to be predicting the Hawks will win the series.

The Hawks-Heat series is arguably the most interesting first-round series. The Heat are red-hot and Wade has shown he's once again among the NBA elite. It's the classic team vs. player matchup as the well-rounded Hawks will try to slow down the presumptive NBA MVP.

Williams' health will be a key factor, as he will often be called on to defend Wade.

"I think that all you can do is try and slow him down," Williams said.

Next is career.

Playing well during this playoff run would be a boost for Williams, whose contract is expiring.

"I never pay too much attention to the fact that I'm in a contract year," Williams said. "Obviously, I know the whole world knows I'm in a contract year."

Williams is a restricted free agent, meaning the Hawks have the right to match any contract offered to him and keep him in town.

Williams said he would "love to stay in Atlanta," and loves the city, organization, coach and teammates.

This is a big offseason for Williams, who has a chance at his first big free-agent deal. This is the deal that could set him up for life. Set up his family for life.

Williams is still playing off the contract he signed after becoming the No. 2 pick in the draft in 2005. Williams hasn't had his most productive season in terms of scoring (he averaged 14.8 points last season, compared to 13.9 points this year), but his role changed as he become an effective 3-point shooter. He hit 35.5 percent from 3-point range this season, attempting more than 100 — more than in any other season.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson sat Williams down after last season and said he wanted him to focus on 3-point shooting and defense during the offseason. He did both, and whether it results in a big contract to stay in Atlanta will be revealed this summer.

It seems likely the Hawks will want to keep their young corps of players together. The Hawks have continued to add pieces to a team and have seen it improve from 13 wins in 2004-05 to 47 wins this season.

"It's a really good feeling to do it together and know where we started and we improved as a team and as individuals," Williams said. "We're really showing the world that now."